Because Archon’s Doing it Right

Courtesy of Archon's Facebook Page.

By Jan S. Gephardt

I am happy to report that I’m going to Archon 44 after all. Why? Because—and only because—Archon's doing it right.

The Email That Changed Everything

The vaccination map at left is by Josh Renaud, courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The chart at right is from The New York Times, via Google.

You may recall that a few weeks ago, I very reluctantly decided to withdraw from this year’s FenCon, a Texas science fiction convention that my son and I have come to love. I had been watching the COVID-19 trends in the St. Louis area and growing more and more convinced I’d have to do the same with Archon. But then I got the Email That Changed Everything.

“The Archon Chairs have decided to require vaccination OR a negative COVID test within the previous 72 hours,” the email said. “Documentation is required for both. . . There are no exceptions to this policy.” This is such an unusual and—sadly—BRAVE position to take in this part of the country that I actually gasped.

Archon 44 Co-chairs Alan DeVaughn and Scott Corwin are boldly going where many regional convention chairs have feared to go. And while they’re at it, they’re going “all the way.”

“The state of Illinois has mandated masks for indoor public spaces for anyone older than 2 years old,” they wrote. “The mask must cover your nose and mouth, unless you are eating or drinking. If you are asked to put your mask on by an Archon staff / committee member and choose not to comply, you will be asked to leave. There are no exceptions to this policy.”

At left, protesters demonstrate against vaccine mandates (photo by John Lamparski, via The Atlantic). At right, anti-mask protesters in Kalispell, MT (courtesy of the Flathead Beacon).

Archon’s doing it right.

Yes, Archon's doing it right, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I plan to honor their commitment to follow both science and good sense in the best way I know how: by coming with my books, my artwork, and my work ethic. I’m scheduled for nine events and panels—and I plan to show up for all of them as well-prepared as I can possibly be.

I’m also going to do everything in my power to promote their event—for example, on this and my other blogs, and on every social media platform where I have a presence. Because Archon’s doing it right, they have earned my heartfelt gratitude and loyalty.

If anyone reading this was on the fence and wavering about coming to Archon, please make this policy your deciding vote for going!

Oh, and a word to the wise: book your hotel reservations (use the link on their homepage to get the convention rate) as soon as possible. Historically, they fill up fast!

Top L, artists Brent Chumley, Rachael Mayo, and Allison Stein discuss creating fantasy creatures in 2019. Top R, Rachael Mayo and several attendees discuss art materials at a 2018 panel. Below, R-L, we had much sunnier weather at the Gateway Center in 2019 than 2018. (All photos by Jan S. Gephardt).

I Have History with Archon

As I noted in the article on my Events Calendar, Archon has been around for a while.

The "44" in Archon 44 means this annual convention has been around for a while. G., Warren, Pascal and I all went to earlier Archons when we were just starting in fandom. And a few years ago, Ty and I started going to them again. If you follow my blog, you might remember posts I've written about hall costumes at Archon 42 and 43, and the Art Show.

It's a well-established convention, run by people who generally know what they're doing and find excellent ways to make it a good weekend for attendees.

After years in the funky, rambling, since-demolished Henry VIII Hotel in St. Louis proper, the convention has found an excellent new home in the Gateway Convention Center and DoubleTree Hotel in Collinsville, IL.

Throughout my career, I’ve had some great moments, and met some wonderful people at Archon.

At left, EMT Kevin Hammel conducts a highly informative 2019 presentation on gunshot wounds, for writers who want to get it right. Top center, a 2018 panel on Diversity in SF, which included, L-R, Jennifer Stolzer, Kathleen Kayembe, Camille Faye, and Debbie Manber Kupfer (M). Top far right: I prepare for my reading in 2019. Below center L-R: Donna J. W. Munro, Marella Sands, and Christine Nobbe chat with the audience before their readings in 2018. Below R, Jennifer Lynn discusses Shamans, Druids, and Wise Women in a 2019 presentation. Photos by Jan S. Gephardt, with the exception of one (guess which) by Tyrell Gephardt.

But that was then. What about Now?

ecause Archon’s doing it right, I’ll have an opportunity to show off my new book (readers who’ve followed this blog in recent weeks probably noticed I have one) sooner than next February (looking at you, Capricon 42). And I’ll get to display my artwork in an in-person display for the first time in almost 2 years.

Jan’s new book A Bone to Pick became widely available in a variety of formats after Release Day, September 15, 2021. Cover artwork © 2020 by Jody A. Lee.

I’m scheduled for an autograph session on Friday, a reading on Sunday, and seven panels (several of which I’m moderating). I love doing those things, because they give me opportunities to have great conversations with other panelists and audience members. I get to meet creative, interesting new people (and so can you, if you’ll join us at Archon). And I also get to re-acquaint myself with people I haven’t seen for a while.

I’ll come equipped with an expanded collection of S.W.A.G., badge ribbons and bookmarks for all (or—if that last order doesn’t arrive in time, at least most) of the books and stories Weird Sisters Publishing has produced so far. If you’re a subscriber to my monthly newsletter, and you tell me so at Archon, I’ll even have an exclusive-offer “I’m a Member of the Pack” badge ribbon for you.

Jan at her Capricon 40 autograph table (photo by Tyrell Gephardt).

Introducing “Stripped ‘Scripts”

Also because Archon’s doing it right, my son Tyrell will have a first opportunity to present his new service to authors, called “Stripped ‘Scripts.” Through it, he’ll bring his skills as a developmental editor to a new audience.

What’s a developmental editor, and why would a writer need one? In the movie industry they’re sometimes called “script doctors.” While that name gets applied to services from high level plot-revision to hands-on rewriting, the idea is basically that when a plot or a manuscript has gone off the rails, dead-ended somewhere, or developed another kind of structural dysfunction, all hope may not be lost.

A good developmental editor can look it over and offer an analysis. They’ll often have a better idea of what’s wrong and how to turn it into a structurally sound story than an author who’s “written themself into a corner” and run out of ideas. I’ll freely admit that my stories have benefitted from Ty’s “big picture” view. I also appreciate his fresh takes on cultural adjustments to varied technical innovations, and his martial-arts expertise.

Photo and developmental editing business card design are both courtesy of Tyrell Gephardt.

Because Archon’s Doing it Right, We can Relax and Have a Great Con

I know I’m not the only science fiction fan who has missed going to conventions. I’ve blogged elsewhere about why I love science fiction conventions. Not rubbing shoulders with other writers and the fans who keep us afloat has been disappointing, but necessary during the pandemic.

But although it seems as if it’s taking forever, it’s now in our power to make this fourth wave the last one. It’ll be a bit longer, no thanks to the purveyors of an unprecedented flood of misinformation. But we can do it. Spread the word. Speak up in support of those who are doing it right. Kindly (if possible) help to educate those who are sincerely confused.

Science, technology, and government services (sometimes government really isn’t the problem!) have given us the tools we need. They’ve placed research, growing understanding of this virus, and three phenomenally effective vaccines within our grasp. We’re the taxpayers who’ve underwritten much of this historic work. We now have the right and privilege to avail ourselves of these new tools and understandings.

And because Archon’s doing it right, we now can do it at a science fiction convention!

IMAGE CREDITS:

Many thanks to Archon’s Facebook Page, for the logo header image. The map showing vaccination rates in the United States was created by Josh Renaud for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The chart of COVID-19 cases in the United States is regularly updated by The New York Times, accessed 9/21/2021 via Google.

The montage images from Archon 42 and 43 are all by Jan S. Gephardt except for one, taken by Tyrell E. Gephardt (of Jan’s reading). Ty also took the one of Jan at her Capricon 40 autograph table. Moreover, he provided the photo of himself, along with the image of his “Stripped ‘Scripts” business card.

Many thanks to all!

For my Callings

Day Four: Grateful for my Callings

The idea that one has a "purpose" or a "calling" on one's life is another one of those universal thoughts that many different spiritual traditions have identified. I've connected to mine through my Christian faith, but you don't have to be a Christian to know you have gifts and talents, or passions in life that call to you.

I think it's part of human psychology, deep-rooted in our social-animal nature, to want our lives to make a difference in the world. We find our reason for being in what we perceive to be our life's purpose.

Conversely, I don't think I've ever met any more unhappy kind of person than those who don't think they have any particular purpose, no reason to exist. They swell the ranks of the suicidal, because they really don't believe they matter--even when they very much DO.

My faith-tradition tells me that I was uniquely created by God, and placed here in this moment and location for specific reasons--with tasks set before me, which I was specifically crafted to do well. It is part of my faith-walk to seek out my callings (we all come with several), and fulfill them as faithfully as I can.

That means I must know myself, in as much honesty and fullness as I can. I must look at myself critically, and evaluate my strengths and weaknesses to the best of my ability, nakedly before God (God already knows, of course; there's no fooling, or faking God out).

What am I drawn to do? Where do my skills, talents, and natural abilities lie? If I was created by God to fulfill certain callings as faithfully as I can, then I must also believe that God has attuned my heart to them (why else would they be identified as callings, after all?). When I am fulfilling the best uses I can find for the callings I feel most passionate about, then I believe I am operating at the heart of God's will for me.

I don't know any other way to faithfully answer my calling. Some things--some causes, some works--resonate more deeply for me. Throughout my life, it has been the same: Writing; artwork; teaching; giving; nurturing the animals and people entrusted into my hands. God and I have pretty much reached an understanding, six-plus decades on. I do the work as I understand it; God provides the way to sustain it.

So far, that's working for me. I hope you've found your own path--the one that works for you. Blessings come, along your calling's paths. Follow your passion, when you think you've lost your way.

IMAGES: The "Seven Days of Gratitude" design is my own creation, for well or ill. If for some reason You'd like to use it, please feel free to do so, but I request attribution and a link back to this post.  Many thanks to Chellyepic on Instagram, for the "things that excite you" quote image; to Heart and Soul Coaching for the Mark Twain quote image; to The Soul Purpose Project, for the Picasso quote image; and to Awesome Quotes on Tumblr for the "purpose and passion" quote image. I deeply appreciate all of you!

Look for me and my artwork at these three Midwestern SF Conventions in May and June!

Now that I'm home and able to access my finished artwork again, I have accepted guest invitations from some of the science fiction conventions in the region.  Please come to these fine conventions and look me up!

Demicon 25 
Des Moines IA, May 2-4, 2014

Demicon 25 will be held at the Holiday Inn Northwest.

The theme of this year's annual science fiction, fantasy and gaming convention is Hi-Yo, Silver!  Celebrate Away!

Demicon 25 will be held at the Holiday Inn Northwest, 4800 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines, IA.  There will be an Art Show (I'll have work there), Dealers Room, Gaming, music, parties, programming, and much more.

I'm really looking forward to attending this convention, which I haven't had a chance to attend for several years.  I have only good memories of Demicons past.  Watch for me on programming!

ConQuesT 45
Kansas City MO, May 23-25
The theme of ConQuesT 45 is ConQuesT Noir.
The longest-running SF convention in the Midwest is moving to a beautiful new hotel in downtown Kansas City, with more room than ever for its many popular and enjoyable events. I'm not the Art Show Director this year, so I'll have time to be on programming!

KC Downtown Marriott: new home of ConQuesT!

Of course I'll have artwork in the Art Show, and I hope to be on several panels--perhaps also a paper sculpture demonstration, or maybe even a reading from my new SF novel Dogged Pursuit.
 
ConQuesT 45 will be held at the elegant and spacious Kansas City Marriott Downtown. 200 W. 12th Street, Kansas City, MO.

This is my hometown convention, put on by the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society (KaCSFFS), of which I am the Communications Officer and a longtime member.

Soonercon 23
Oklahoma City,

OK, June 27-29, 2014
(okay, technically it's in Midwest City, OK).

Reed Convention Center again hosts Soonercon.

Soonercon bills itself as Oklahoma's oldest and longest-running fan-run extravaganza. And it is! My family and I have a long and pleasant association with Soonercon, and we're looking very much forward to attending this convention again.

Housed at the beautiful and convenient Reed Convention Center, 5800 Will Rogers Road, Midwest City, OK, Soonercon always boasts a large number of interesting guests and panelists, and many events and activities. I've signed up for programming, and also plan to be in the Art Show.

Artless Walls

As I have previously mentioned, I've been spending time in California recently, with my daughter (and now my son), clearing out the condominium of my recently-deceased aunt.

One cool thing about this home was some very nice artwork on the walls.

In her dining room over the buffet/bar.

My aunt was an art lover (and something of an artist herself, designing and tailoring clothing for herself when she was younger, and exploring photography and collage in more recent years), and the walls of her home hosted a gallery of work.

Up the steps into the loft.

Recently, however, we've taken all the artwork down.

It had to be done.  We are entering the final stages of packing up. But oh, how stark the place looks, just from that one change!

In the loft.

Taking the art down was kind of like removing the home's heart.  It changed the condo from looking like a home to looking much more like a semi-emptied living space.

Removing the art left a mark--some places more than others.

As an artist, I'm probably more attuned to the "art as the heart of the home" idea than some people, but I hope I've been able to illustrate my point.

IMAGES: All photos are my own work.

Artdog Quote of the Week

When considering our choices, it is wise to reflect on what is and is not a genuine choice.

IMAGE CREDIT: Many thanks to the "Technology Rocks. Seriously." Blog for the thought and the imagery.

Artdog Quote of the Week

Here's a really smart thing to keep in mind as you set out upon your week's artful work:

IMAGE CREDIT: Many thanks to the "Technology Rocks. Seriously." Blog, for this visual expression of a great thought.

Artdog Quote of the Week

I respect Henri Matisse a great deal, and it is probable he knew more about art than I ever will.  Not sure I agree completely with this thought, but I do find it interesting.

IMAGE CREDIT: Many thanks to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Paula Kofoed's Pinterest page, for this image.

Shannon Manning: Master Paper Sculptor

There is not going to be anything objective about today's post. 

My subject is Shannon Manning, a Kansas City artist whose work has been inspiring me since about 2004 or 2005, when I first saw it at The Heritage Gallery in Prairie Village, KS.  I was in the early stages of developing my own paper sculptures, and when I first saw his work I was totally blown away.

I had a chance to see Endangered and meet Shannon in person, at the "State of the Arts" show in Prairie Village last October.

I've been seeing his work turn up around town during the past few years, but I'd always missed the opportunity to meet him until last fall at the State of the Arts show in Prairie Village. He is an extremely nice man, in addition to having mad skills in paper sculpture!  Here is a small collection of his work to give you a sample, presented with his permission:

As in this piece, 219 N. Delaware, the detail in Manning's work always astounds me.

I love the visual rhythm of the wings and the exquisite feather effects in Hill and Pond.

Penny Crusher is another example of Manning's mastery of detail.

Manning handles a variety of textures with great skill in Instant Report.

In Ezra's Sunday, Manning juxtaposes mechanical and natural forms--and renders both equally well. His technique makes me deeply envious, but in a good way!

As Sanctuary clearly shows, Manning and I share the super-power of being able to fold rocks! I love the way he handles the snow as an accenting mechanism in this piece.

I deeply appreciate having had the chance to share Manning's art with you.  I hope you have enjoyed looking at a small sample of the work that has been such an inspiration to me over the past decade.

IMAGE CREDITS: Shannon Manning very kindly gave me permission to post images from his website for this article.  PLEASE DO NOT RE-POST WITHOUT MANNING'S PERMISSION! You can view many more of his wonderful works on his online gallery. Individual source pages for the images I chose to post here are: Endangered; 219 N. Delaware; Hill and Pond; Penny Crusher; Instant Report; Ezra's Sunday; and Sanctuary.  

Pieces and Previews

Last week I posted a 2013 Portfolio retrospective. This week, as promised, I'm sharing bits, pieces, and first beginnings of my current works-in-progress.

4-column section from a project started in 2012--still not resolved.

Here's one of my Rosebush pieces-in-progress.

Here are some more Rosebush pieces.

I'm still working on a good background for my Lioness.

This is part of my newest series in progress. It's so new, I don't really have a name for it.

This is another piece of yet-to-be-named imagery in the process of being colored.

So now you've had a look inside my "art parts" box. I'm really hoping before the year is out you'll see some finished versions!

IMAGE CREDITS: All of these images are my own, of Jan S. Gephardt works-in-progress.  If for some reason you should decide you want to re-post them, please include an attribution and link back.  Thanks!

My 2013 Retrospective of Finished Pieces

I've been doing my annual review as we mark the turn-of-the-year, and one of the things I changed this year was assembling a "2013 Portfolio" for myself.  I enjoyed looking at it, and thought you might enjoy a look back as well.

Hippo at Home was the first piece I finished in 2013. This is the old mat.

Border Rose used part of the materials from Rose Dance.

White Clematis I is one of the Clematis Variations collection.

Purple Clematis is another of the collection.

White Clematis Panel rounds out the Clematis Variations collection.

Ann's Hat Tag was a personal project.

Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy-Light Cycle was the final piece I finished in 2013.

I also had many works-in-progress that I did not manage to finish. Paper sculpture takes a long time, especially when it is as big as the 15"X15" square Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy.  Next week I plan to produce a "Pieces and Previews" post that shows a few of those.

IMAGE CREDITS: Need I mention that these images are all my own artwork? If you wish to repost them, please do so with attribution and a link back. Thanks!

Accepted!

Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy has been accepted into the "State of the Arts" exhibition!

Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy will be in the 2013 "State of the Arts" show.

If you'll be in the Kansas City area during October, please come to the Prairie Village Municipal Center, Prairie Village, KS, to see the "State of the Arts" show, sponsored by the Prairie Village Arts Council.

The reception is set for October 11 at the Prairie Village Municipal Offices (7700 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, KS), and the show runs October 1-31.  The mid-October date means I'll be in town to attend the reception!  If this year is anything like past years, it should be a good one.  The City of Prairie Village usually puts on a good reception!

Image credits: The photo of my Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy is by me.  I found the "State of the Arts" logo on the Olathe Visual Artists website.

Turn of the Semester, Turn of the Page

Windblown (2010) is one of my first "autumn"
paper sculptures.

Fall semester has begun.  Start of the school year, start of a new cycle: since I was a tiny child, the start of another school year has functionally been my “new year.”

But it’s been several years since I last began a new fall semester as a classroom practitioner.  I will always be a teacher in my heart, but the life of working in the classroom is no longer my life. 

Today I’m most invested in the other major aspects of my life: professionally, as an artist and a writer; personally, as part of a vibrant, multigenerational (and multi-species) family.

Purple Clematis is one of the paper
sculptures I finished in 2013.

So, while my “intuitive cycle” is (probably forever) tuned to the end of summer as the time of “new beginnings,” this particular year’s new beginning marks a change of direction for this blog.

For the past few years I’ve been scattering my attention between two personal blogs—this one, as “Artdog Educator,” and another one that’s been devoted strictly to my visual artwork, titled “Artdog Observations.”  As anyone knows, who’s been following either one, I’ve been posting less and less frequently to both. 

That’s because I have a massive new project in my life, a science fiction/mystery novel with the working title of Dogged Pursuit.  It’s been consuming much of my attention since spring.

At the same time, I have been trying to keep up working on my artwork.  I make fine-art paper sculpture, aimed at juried shows and in hope of gallery representation. 

Nine-Part Herbal Fantasy is my most recent finished
paper sculpture. It was recently accepted into a show!

With so many creative projects now moving forward, however, I need to re-balance the load.  This season of new beginnings seems a good time to combine both of my former blogs under one title, “Jan S. Gephardt’s Artdog Adventures.”   

As all creative people know, it’s hard to compartmentalize—worse, it’s often counter-productive to try.  Things one learns in one sphere inexplicably turn out to relate to others.  My own creative life is like a Venn diagram with about a thousand circles—and they all converge in my art and writing. 

I sometimes foster dogs for
Great Plains SPCA.

"Artdog Adventures" will explore all of it—the artwork, the writing, the background material, the interesting stuff that I discover, books I read, current events, and also my ongoing thoughts about social issues and education reform when it seems appropriate.  

Because they inform my creative work, I also will undoubtedly include thoughts on the environment, animal welfare, and most especially dogs.  Because I am involved in science fiction fandom, you’ll probably also get comments on that sphere, from time to time.

I hope you'll be interested to join me on my creative journey, and share the "Artdog's" adventures.